“Even as the technology has improved in recent years, thanks to the availability of more and better data as well as increased computing power, the accuracy varies widely depending on what outcomes the system is aiming for and how good the data is going into it.”
– Tate Ryan-Mosley
MIT Technology Press examines “emotional recognition,” a corner of AI development that seeks to identify human feelings by analyzing patterns in speech, expressions, or gestures. Critics suggest understanding someone’s state of mind is hard enough for humans to do and, if not beyond the capabilities of digital models, practices with machines should be subject to human controls.
The MIT story points to applications in several areas, including driver safety, job recruiting, law enforcement, health care, and surveillance.
Advocates for regulation question whether the systems can be trusted for accuracy. and point to the potential for privacy and human rights abuses.
AI isn’t great at decoding human emotions. So why are regulators targeting the tech? | MIT TECHNOLOGY REVIEW | August 14, 2023 | by Tate Ryan-Mosley